Personal coaching has been used for many years by companies to improve employee performance. However, only recently has the idea of using coaching as intervention for students who struggle with challenges like ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder).
Recent research done by Wayne State University in Michigan in 2009 studied college students across the U.S. and measured their progress based on the coaching model developed by the Edge Foundation, a non-profit organization in Seattle that focuses on supplemental treatment for students with ADHD.
The study showed that college students who used personal coaching demonstrated greater empowerment, less stress, and were able to have more balance in their lives.
How Coaching Helps Students with ADHD
Coaching helps college students with ADHD by working on executive functioning skills for schoolwork, including:
- ability to organize,
- set and achieve goals
- self-regulate
Coaching Focus
Coaching is an unique and different supplemental approach for ADHD with a different goal than other therapies; in fact, coaching is not designed to impact GPA but rather personal functioning. And compared to medication, which is shown to help with ADHD improvement in academics such as grades, note-taking and homework completion, coaching works to help students in seven main areas:
- organizing
- focus
- prioritizing
- confidence
- goal setting
- scheduling
- task persistence
The Wayne State Study followed 110 students with ADHD and results showed that participants were able to function with twice the organizational and executive functioning skills of their peers who did not receive coaching. This was the first rigorous scientific study conducted on a national scale that assessed coaching and ADHD.
The principal researcher of the study, Dr. Sharon Field, EdD, professor of administrative and organizational studies and co-director of the Center for Self-Determination and Transition at Wayne State University notes that "While anecdotal evidence indicates personal coaching strategies have positive benefits for students, that alone isn't enough to determine if widespread implementation of these programs is appropriate."
The U.S. government estimates that 1 out of 10 children have ADHD according to Patricia Quinn, a developmental pediatrician with a 30-year career in ADHD and an Edge Foundation board member. "This research has the potential to make a major difference in the life of every child with ADHD."
The Edge Foundation, founded by Neil Peterson in 2005, works with children and adults with ADHD. Their personalized approach of monitoring by coaches has helped students achieve success. The executive summary of the study reports that the coaching model made an important difference in the way students approached the learning process, helping them to be more organized and efficient.
The results of the study showed greater feelings of control and confidence in the students with ADHD. According to the Edge Foundation, given the difficulty that students with ADHD typically experience in self-regulation and executive functioning, it is anticipated that the study's findings will have an impact on success for all people with ADHD.
Additional References: Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI; Weinstein & Palmer, 2002).
Elizabeth Richards - Elizabeth Richards has published almost 200 articles for Suite101 since 2007 as a Contributing and Feature Writer.
Join the Conversation